Tie Buddies

*Thank you for entering. There were 55 entries and the winner is Janell*
  
Tying your shoes is a small but essential skill, one you use for the rest of your life. Help your little one learn faster with Tie Buddies®. These cute, kid-friendly devices act as easy pull-tabs for small hands, taking messy loops out of the equation. The happy characters make a game of it, resulting in a strong knot and even stronger recall.

My kindergartner knows how to tie her shoes but she often has trouble with it and gets frustrated. When I was given the chance to review tie buddies I thought it might help her to master it. I was given the choice of blue with race cars or pink with a fairy and wand and I chose the pink ones. 

We received these in the mail and Natalie was excited to put them on her shoes and try them out. It did take a few minutes to put these on her shoelaces because one of them was frayed. I wrapped some tape around it and from there it was an easy process. It took less than 5 minutes to put these on the shoelaces.

I showed Natalie how to tie her shoes with these and it took her a couple tries to get the hang of it. But now she is tying her shoes all the time and is not getting frustrated anymore. She loves the way they look on her shoes and I really like the confidence they have given her. I think after having these on her shoes for a little while she will be able to master tying her shoes without them easily.

I think Tie Buddies are a good introductory step to learning how to tie shoes. It helps children learn the basics and gives them confidence in their abilities. It also gets children excited to learn how to tie their shoes.
At only $8.99 each on their website, I think these are a great deal.

Giveaway (CLOSED)

One of my readers will win their very own set of Tie Buddies. You can enter by filling out the form or leaving a comment, include all of your entries at once. Please leave your email with your entry so I can contact you, entries without emails are disqualified.

Mandatory Entry:
Go to Tie Buddies website and tell me which set you would choose, then fill out the form below or leave a comment.

Earn Extra Entries (not required):
Like Tie Buddies on facebook
Like Valerie's Reviews on facebook
Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect

This  giveaway will end on November 30th and the winner will be announced within 24 hours.
The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is limited to US residents only - 18 years old and above.
Winner will be chosen at random.

Good Luck!


Sponsored by Tomoson.com
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Oliver's Labels

I was sent a variety of labels from Oliver's Labels to try. These labels can be stuck on anything and are dishwasher and laundry safe. They will never fade, scuff or peel. I was able to choose the design I wanted and there is everything from cute, to monograms, to allergy related, but I chose the nature design.

I had this personnalized with the name of my 6 yr old who just started kindergarten and has had a hard time keeping up with her stuff. She has already lost 1 jacket that I forgot to put her name on.

I was sent original labels which I have put on a backpack and a lunchbox. They have lasted through the wear and tear of my kindergartner taking them to and from school everyday.
Some other uses for the original labels (taken from their website):
Kid Uses: School stuff, camp stuff, sippy cups, bottles, toys, food containers, electronics, lunch boxes and sports equipment.

Adult Uses: Laptop, MP3 player, water bottle and cell phone.

 I was also sent the mini labels which have been put on my daughters glasses and some pencils. These would be perfect at back to school time when you are trying to label all of those school supplies.
Some other uses for the mini labels (taken from their website):
 Kid Uses: Toothbrushes, eye glasses, pencils, pencil crayons, markers, scissors, spoons and toys.

Adult Uses: Cell phone, MP3 player, pens, pencils and sunglasses.

 I was also sent a pair of shoe labels which are in my daughters shoes and they look just as great as when I first put them in there. I thought for sure they would have come out already, but they are very durable.
Some other uses for the shoe labels (taken from their website): Uses: Sandals, runners, flip-flops, boots and any other footwear that leaves the house!

 

And last I was sent some Stick-eez Clothing Labels these are stickers you stick to the "care tag" of any garment, no sewing or ironing involved. If the clothes you'd like to use these on do not have a "care tag" then there are some Iron-on Clothing Labels available that would work for you. I put these on my daughters jackets and on her school shirt. I have washed and dried her school shirt and the label has stayed with no problems.
Some other uses for these clothing labels (taken from their website):
Uses: Any clothing with a "care tag" such as t-shirts, pants, underwear, gym clothes, snow pants and jackets. Especially useful for applying directly to clothing with nylon shells that can’t be ironed.

Something else about these labels that I really like, is they have an optional tracking system. If you choose to include this on your labels (free of charge), the person that finds your lost item can go to the website which is listed on the label and enter a unique code also found on the label and Oliver's Labels sends you an e-mail letting you know your item was found. That is the reason we label our things after all, so that we can get them back if they are lost.

You can purchase these items by specific product or in sets. At first I thought these were a little pricey for labels, but since I have tried them and know how durable they are I think they are a good deal. Think about all the money you would save if everything you or your child lost had a way to get back to you.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Scarborough Lane

Scarborough Lane sent me some of her soy wax melts to try out. I was sent maple pecan strudel, apple jack & peel, citrus splash and black cherry. As soon as I received these I could not stop smelling them, they smell so good. At first I thought the citrus splash would be my favorite but after melting them it ended up being apple jack & peel. It smells just like spiced apples! They all have a fantastic smell though. These melt quickly and the scent fills my house with just 1 or 2 cubes without being too strong. I also love that you can pop them out of the warmer easily and switch scents, the picture below shows this.

The prices on the website are extremely reasonable and I always see sales going on. She also sells some bath and body products that I can't wait to try. This includes body frosting, sugar scrub, shower gel and super cute kid bath products and all of it would make great gifts! This is a site you will return to again and again.